Harman Kardon Joins Global Formula E Racing Series

Building on its partnership with BMW, Harman Kardon will team up with BMW i to sponsor the MS Amlin Andretti Race Team in the FIA Formula E Championship

Munich – Today, HARMAN International Industries, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, announced its Harman Kardon brand will team up with BMW i to sponsor the MS Amlin Andretti Race Team in the FIA Formula E Championship. Harman joins the team as the official headphone, speaker and audio partner of Andretti Formula E. As BMW’s connected car and premium audio solutions partner for models including the BMW i3 and i8, the Harman Kardon partnership with BMW i and MS Amlin Andretti brings a strong innovation mindset and forward thinking approach to the full-electric street racing series.

Through the platform of Formula E, Harman Kardon’s “Welcome To The Sound Of The Future” campaign will be integrated in the final six ePrix races of Season 3 to drive engagement with spectators on and off the track. The partnership kicks off at the Berlin double-header races on June 10th and 11th, continues with the New York races on July 15th and 16th and concludes at the Season 3 finale race weekend in Montreal on July 29th and 30th. Activities will include Harman Kardon audio demos and social media outreach showcasing the people and ideas that drive and inspire the racing world.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Andretti Formula E in the FIA Formula E Championship,” said Ralph Santana, Chief Marketing Officer at HARMAN. “This collaboration with BMW i and MS Amlin Andretti is an ideal extension of our longstanding partnership with BMW, based on shared technology expertise, an innovation focus, and commitment to the ultimate in-car experience. We look forward to being part of the Formula E Championship and connecting with a growing group of passionate Formula E fans around the world.”

Partnership on common ground

The Harman Kardon brand is known around the world for premium sound and a sophisticated aesthetic. It integrates environmentally friendly design, the ethos of the Formula E series, along with peak performance audio for cars, teams and drivers.

Led by racing legend Michael Andretti, MS Amlin Andretti is one of the founding members in the all-electric racing series. The team announced a cooperative partnership with BMW at the start of Season 3. The Harman Kardon partnership will strengthen the innovation mindset of the team by contributing valuable audio technology and expertise. Music has also played an important role for the team since Season 2, when MS Amlin Andretti began creating a Spotify playlist for each race on the Formula E calendar featuring a unique mix of songs, including local artists from the host country for each race. The playlist will now be played in the MS Amlin Andretti garage area each race weekend through Harman Kardon advanced audio system technology.

“We are really excited to have Harman Kardon partnering with BMW i and our team,” said Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Formula E. “There is strong alignment between Harman Kardon, BMW i, and Andretti centered on performance and technology. The all-electric racing platform of Formula E provides a great opportunity for Harman Kardon to showcase their innovative products and engage with the tech-savvy fans of the series.”

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success. Together with Andretti Formula E and Andretti Rallycross, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IndyCar Series and Indy Lights, along with entries in the FIA Formula E Championship and Global Rallycross. The company boasts four IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012), two Indy Lights titles (2008, 2009), one Pro Mazda championship (2013) and one USF2000 championship (2010) and has captured victory five times at the famed Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (2005, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017). Additionally, the team holds two X Games Gold Medals and two Global Rallycross championship (2015, 2016). To share in the Andretti story, please visit online at AndrettiAutosport.com and follow along on Twitter via @FollowAndretti.

About the FIA Formula E Championship

The FIA Formula E Championship is the world’s first fully-electric single-seater racing series, competing on the streets against the backdrop of some of the most iconic cities - including Hong Kong, Marrakesh, Buenos Aires, Monaco, Paris, New York and Montreal. The championship represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a platform to showcase the latest innovations in electric vehicle technology and alternative energy solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on the development of motor and battery components, which in turn will filter down to everyday contemporary electric road vehicles.

The 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship sees 10 teams and 20 drivers go wheel-to-wheel in 10 cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned Formula E champion. The inaugural season of Formula E sparked into life in September 2014 around the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing. The third season of the electric street racing series resumes with Rounds 7 and 8 on June 10th and 11th at the Tempelhof Airport race circuit in Berlin.

About HARMAN

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

About the BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and 145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately € 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31 December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

About BMW i

BMW i is a BMW Group brand focusing on visionary vehicle concepts, connected mobility services and a new understanding of premium strongly defined by sustainability. BMW i is represented in 54 countries with the BMW i3 electric car for metropolitan areas, BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car and plug-in hybrid BMW iPerformance Automobiles. BMW i opens up new target groups for the company and serves as an incubator for innovations. Technologies which have debuted successfully in BMW i cars are carried over to parent brand BMW’s other models. BMW i is also associated with enterprises including DriveNow (car sharing in Europe), ReachNow (car sharing in the US), ChargeNow (easy access to the world’s largest network of charging points), ParkNow (straightforward location, reservation and payment of parking spaces), BMW i Ventures (investment in start-up companies), BMW Energy Services and the Centre of Competence for Urban Mobility (consultancy for cities).